SAFETY PROCEDURES

AND METHODS
 INTRODUCTION

The way work is performed in or around an electrical power

system is just as important as the safety equipment that is
used. Proper voltage measurement can mean the difference
between life and death. Standing in the right place during
switching operations can mitigate or eliminate the effects of
an electric arc or blast, and proper application of safety
grounds can prevent an accidental re-energization from
becoming a fatality
Safety is the one truly personal concern in an electric power
system. In majority of electrical accidents, the injured victim
was the so-called last link in the chain. The use of proper
procedures and/or proper safety equipment could have
prevented the accident. Equipment and procedures can be
provided, but only the individual employee can make the
decision to use them.
 THE SIX-STEP SAFETY METHOD
These are all individual steps that can be taken by anyone who works on or around electric power
circuits and conductor

Think – Understand Follow your Use Ask if you Do not

your Procedures appropriate are unsure, answer if
Be Aware safety and do not you do not
procedures
equipment assume know
THE SIX-STEP SAFETY METHOD

THINK – BE AWARE

Many accidents could have been prevented if the injured

victim had concentrated on the safety aspects of the job.
Thinking about personal or job-related problems while
working on or near energized conductors is a one-way ticket
to an accident. Always stay alert to the electrical hazards
around the work area.
THE SIX-STEP SAFETY METHOD

UNDERSTAND YOUR PROCEDURES

Every company has defined safety procedures that are to be

followed. Workers should be thoroughly familiar with all the
safety procedures that affect their jobs. Knowledge of the
required steps and the reasons for those steps can save a
life. All employees should go through extensive safety
training.
THE SIX-STEP SAFETY METHOD

FOLLOW YOUR PROCEDURES

In the past, some facilities have allowed the violation of

safety procedures in the name of production. Such actions
are in violation of the law and have invariably proven to be
costly in terms of human injury and/or death. Violation of
safety procedures without good cause should be a discharge
offense. What constitutes “good cause” must be decided on a
local basis; however, excuses of lesser significance than
immediate danger to life should not be acceptable.
THE SIX-STEP SAFETY METHOD

USE APPROPRIATE SAFETY EQUIPMENT

No matter how meticulous worker are, accidents do occasionally

happen. Equipment failures, lightning strikes, switching surges, and
other such events can cause shock, arc, or blast. Also, sometimes it
becomes necessary for employees to work on or very close to
energized conductors, which increases the chance of accidental
contact. Because of these reasons, appropriate safety equipment
should be used any time workers are exposed to the possibility of
electrical hazards.
THE SIX-STEP SAFETY METHOD

ASK IF YOU ARE UNSURE, AND

DO NOT ASSUME

Ignorance kills and injures many people each year. No one

should ever get fired for asking a question – especially if it is
a safety-related question. Anyone who is uncertain about a
particular situation should be encourage to ask questions,
which should then be answered by a qualified person
immediately and to the fullest extent possible.
THE SIX-STEP SAFETY METHOD

DO NOT ANSWER IF YOU DO NOT KNOW

 No one should answer a question if they are not certain of

the answer. Self-proclaimed experts should keep their
opinions to themselves.
 JOB BRIEFINGS

Sometimes called “tailgate meeting”

Is a meeting that informs all workers of the job requirements
Is used to alert workers to potential safety hazards
Need not to be formal gathering; however, it is mandatory
that all workers involved attend, and workers attendance
must be recorded
WHAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED?

OSHA rules require that a job briefing discuss, at a

minimum, the ff. issues:
 Special precautions to be taken
 Hazards associated with the job
 Energy control procedures
 Procedures and policies
 Personal protective equipment (PPE)
WHEN SHOULD JOB BRIEFING BE HELD?

 At the beginning of each shift

 At the beginning of any job
 Any time that job conditions change
 When new personnel are introduced to an ongoing job
 ENERGIZED OR DE-ENERGIZED?

ALL CIRCUITS AND COMPONENTS TO WHICH

EMPLOYEES MAY BE EXPOSED SHOULD BE DE-ENERGIZED
BEFORE WORK BEGINS.
Some references, such as NFPA 70E, refer to this process
as making a work area electrically safe. This is preferred over
de-energized since it specifically encompasses turning
equipment off, locking and tagging, voltage measurement, and
so on.
HOT-WORK FLOWCHART
HOT-WORK FLOWCHART

START

Will this work expose Work is de-energized.

the worker to energized
Proceed
part over 50 volts? NO

YES Circuits of less than 50 volts to ground

may generally be considered as de-
energized. If the circuit has high arcing
Will additional potential, answer #1 as “Yes”
hazards be
introduced by de- YES
energizing?

NO
 NO Can the work be
rescheduled to a later time YES
when it can be performed
de-energized

Would the de- YES

energization require a STOP!! Schedule
major shutdown? the work for later

NO

Does the nature of Would the de- YES

work require a major energization require a
shutdown? YES major shutdown?

NO Proceed with
caution
STOP!! The circuits MUST be de-
energized for this work!!!
Example of additional hazards

Interruption of life-support systems

Deactivation of emergency alarms
Shutdown of ventilation of hazardous locations
Removal of illumination from the work area
 STEPS REQUIRED BEFORE DE-ENERGIZED WORK MAY COMMENCE

1. All energy control devices feeding the work area must be opened
2. Locks and tags shall be placed on the energy control devices
3. Voltage measurements shall be made at the point(s) of exposure to
verify that the circuit is de-energized
4. Safety grounds (if required) shall be placed to ensure the existence
of an equipotential work zone
5. The work area must be closely inspected by a qualified person to
make certain that no energized parts remain. This critical step is often
missed
 AFTER THE DECISION IS MADE

If the work must be done energized, all employees who

work on or near energized conductors must be
 qualified to do the work
 use appropriate personal protective equipment
 use appropriate safety related work practices